The Rising: Darkness Falls
by Pearl3
Summary: It's Christmastime, but unfortunately for the Z Senshi, peace is once again interrupted. A year after Buu, and still healing, will they be able to stop this new menace? Or will he prove to be too strong to handle? R&Rplz!
1. The Beginning

The Rising: Darkness Falls  
By: Pearl  
DBZ  
December 19, 2003  
  
A/N: Hey all! After a prolonged absence (due to Chemistry), I've come up with a new fic! YAY! It's kinda dark (hence the title), and may be a series...I dunno, haven't decided yet. Hopefully you'll like it, and I pray that it's even better than my last fic, "Ten Things I Hate About You". Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: **Sigh** Now, why on Earth would I write stories that make absolutely no money if I owned the show? HUH??!  
  
Chapter One: The Beginning...  
  
Soft snow-white flakes drifted lazily to the ground. The sun had long since set over the horizon, letting the moon use its celestial light to shine on the surface of the planet. Cars whirred past, children played in their front yard, people walked on the sidewalks. One particular trio stood out among the rest, consisting of a man, a woman, and a child.  
  
The man, for as long as he could remember, had never really taken the time to enjoy the weather. Sure, he loved the cold, and for this reason winter had become his favorite part of the year. But being who he was, from a different place, the whole "winter package" was still new to him. The woman beside him, young and beautiful, held onto his right hand, warm and tight. It was indeed a rare thing for him to even consider allowing this public display of affection. And the child, their child, held onto his left hand, another rare and precious moment for the family.  
  
Groups of carolers graced the snowy-scene, their singing hinting at the particular holiday that was days away. The humming of "Silent Night" brought about a peace throughout the neighborhood. The family continued to walk, his wife deciding that it would be nicer than driving for a change. He really didn't care, though he would've liked to get home by the faster transportation. His mind reminded him that he had one particular date with the gleaming, newly updated Gravity Room. Ah, yes...to be training again.  
  
"Mom, I'm hungry," whined the child. His lavender hair bounced slightly with each giant step he took to match his father's. Vegeta scowled. Hadn't they just fed the brat an hour ago?!  
  
"Alright hon, we'll be home soon enough. I think your grandmother has some cookies in the oven." She winked at her son, brushing a few stray strands of blue hair behind her ear.  
  
Vegeta let out a breath, watching as a cloud of hot air left his mouth and disappeared into the chilly night. He had never liked the mall, having had a bad experience years before. Plus, holiday shoppers tend to get on his nerves. Never a "people person", the pushing and shoving of last-minute shoppers often caused him to lose his temper and get them kicked out of some stores. Not that he minded; the sooner they got kicked out, the better. He pouted, suddenly remembering that the Onna hadn't let him Final Flash that one snotty "Santa's helper" to the next dimension. Oh well, there was always next year...  
  
The tall dome known as Capsule Corp to some, but home to the small family appeared over the slight hill in the road. The crunching of snow beneath their feet turned into clicks as their boots hit pavement. Yet the sensitive hearing of the two Princes picked up more footsteps behind them. Vegeta stopped, causing the other two to stop. The carolers had stopped singing. Children had stopped laughing. Dead silence filled their senses, Vegeta still not daring to turn around. His dark, midnight eyes shot around the area; his strong hands letting go of his wife and son.  
  
"Go home," he murmured, still facing in the general direction of Capsule Corp.  
  
"Geta-san-" Bulma whispered.  
  
"Take Trunks and go. Now." He commanded, voice soft but firm. Something wasn't right, and his senses screamed at him. A slight tingle raced up his back, making it seem much colder than it really was to him. "Come on Trunks," Bulma stated, reaching for the boy's hand. He jerked back, taking a step behind his father. The older man's eyes widened, his hand immediately grabbing his blue-eyed son and bringing him forward.  
  
"Aw, dad! I wanna go with you! Come on, its not fair. I've fought Buu...I can handle anything!!" Crossing his arms, he glared up at his father with the glare that had graced all men in Vegeta's family.  
  
"All the more reason for you to go with your mother. I'd feel better if there was someone at home, WITH HER, to protect her."  
  
"But Dad-" Trunks bit his lip, stopping because of the glare being sent to him. Whining, he knew, would get him nowhere. With a slight sigh, he nodded, dropping his arms to the side, taking his place by Bulma. They began to walk away, no good-byes or hugs, a feeling of a precautionary check around the house on their minds.  
  
"Take care of her," the Prince whispered, an eerie feeling of finality taking hold. Trunks glanced over his shoulder, a puzzled look passing over his face. Vegeta offered a small smile, one that said everything would be fine. His son shot one back, much bigger than his father's. After all, the Saiya-jin no Ouji was indestructible.....  
  
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~  
  
The forests near his home were dark, the moon trying desperately to shine its soft beams through the canopy of the trees. The ki signature of whoever had been following his family lead here. Oddly enough, Vegeta felt as though he knew the person, or thing, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It didn't matter though. Whoever was stalking his family would pay dearly. The Saiya-jin Prince loved privacy, and protecting it wouldn't be difficult. He paused, landing a few feet away from a tall, lanky shadow.  
  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Why, it's Prince Vegeta!" Chuckles of various tones echoed from the darkness of the woods. "So good of you to join us Prince. Though I am disappointed that you didn't even bother to bring your lovely family-"  
  
"Who are you?" Vegeta growled, powering up slightly. The mention of his family brought a stiff reminder to check the two ki signatures that he had died to protect. Both were at their normal levels, healthy and safe.  
  
"Hn, wouldn't you like to know? However, that's not important now. The main question is what do we want. Well Your Majesty, we're here to take over the world."  
  
Vegeta snorted. "Ha...You're joking. Earth has had many fools try to take over it, and believe me, these bakas have not succeeded. What the hell would you want with Earth anyway?"  
  
"My, my, so full of questions. You'll find out soon enough. Perhaps you'd like to know that we've found those orange orbs known as the...oh, what do you call them? The ones with all those red stars?"  
  
"The dragonballs..." Vegeta cursed under his breath.  
  
"Yes, those. We're missing two, but don't worry. We'll find them. Now, I suggest you prance back to your little friends and prepare for battle. You would like the challenge....would you not?"  
  
The warrior's dark eyes scanned a few feet ahead of him. He could take them on, but without the knowledge of their strength and number, he couldn't hope to wipe them all out. With a burst of ki and a growl sent their way, Vegeta flew off into the starry night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~  
  
Well, that's the first chapter, though there isn't much action at the moment. I promise that it'll get much more interesting, and definitely action packed!!! YAY! I guess I can give you guys a bit of a preview:::  
  
Chapter Two: It Starts.....  
  
Vegeta flies back home and has Bulma call an emergency meeting of all the Z Senshi, giving them an update of all that happened. The Son family moves in temporarily, bringing the prized four-star dragonball to be guarded with the one-star. With chaos erupting in the streets, can they hope to survive this new enemy?  
  
So, there ya go. I hope to update soon, whenever an idea pops into my creative little mind. Please review!!!  
  
Till Next time!  
  
Ja Ne, ~*Pearl*~ 


	2. It Starts

A/N: Yay! Another chapter!!! ^-^ R&R plz!!

Disclaimer: Maybe if I saved up all my lunch money, I could buy it!.......(**rolls eyes**)

Chapter Two: It Starts....

Five pairs of onyx eyes plus a single pair of ocean-blue eyes stared out of the giant window that faced the city. They were in the new "headquarters", an extended, underground part of the Gravity Room built after the fight with Buu. These men were the strongest fighters Earth had, but also, the most confused. Another threat had reached the planet, blood thirsty, out to conquer. Don't be mistaken, for they had all seen it coming. Earth had always been a magnet for loonies bent on destruction and power.

The first set of eyes; the tallest of these warriors, Piccolo. King Piccolo had come and destroyed the wonderful tools known as the dragonballs, hoping to gain an advantage over Earth's warriors. He had a son, Piccolo, and left the Namek to finish what he had started.

Moving on to the next face; the strongest of the bunch, Goku, also known as Kakarot. He had been sent to Earth to purge it, and get the planet ready to be sold. A hit to the head, and thirty-eight years later, he's still guarding the planet he loves. His sons, Gohan, the eldest, Goten, the youngest, stand side by side, personalities just like their father. They were raised differently, and, along with Trunks, had always fought evil.

The final set of eyes, deep pools of ebony, narrowed as he looked out the window. He had come to this "lowly" planet over a decade ago to finish what Kakarot couldn't. After fighting Goku and the other Z warriors, and after a strange (to him) turn of events, the Prince of a long forgotten, dead race, found himself protecting the planet he swore to destroy.

And now they found themselves meeting another obstacle, almost one year after the defeat of Majin Buu.

"What exactly are we supposed to do," asked a deep, vibrating voice. His question nearly echoed off the walls of the silent room. The other five heads whipped around to look at him. "The same thing we always do!" Chirped a younger voice. Once again the warrior's heads turned towards the sound of the voice. The youngster jumped pack, his inherited stance dropping for a moment. "Whoa! You guys are gonna get whiplash if you keep doing that," he sneered, earning chuckles from the Son men. Piccolo and Vegeta remained stony, the latter shaking his head at his son's growing range of annoyance.

[_~ He must be hanging around Kakarot's kid too much .~ _]

"Like I was saying, we should do the same thing we always do! Beat the crap outta them and save the world once again!" He stood with his finger pointed triumphantly in the air, legs spread apart slightly, other hand on hip. Again, the Sons laughed, while the other two sweat-dropped. The loudest and hardest laughing, Goku, stopped abruptly, placing his chin his hand. After a moment or two of thought, thinking not being one of his grand accomplishments, the tall man took a few steps away from the group to address them properly.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo looked at each other before Anime-flopping to the floor, while Trunks and Goten gave Goku the victory sign. Goku, ever the one to miss out on the obvious, glanced back and forth between the three still on the floor.

"Hm? Guys?"

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

He should've guessed what was happening by the first explosion that rocked the house. But being one to take things calmly, the Prince simply rolled over to his side and brought his wife closer. The second blast sent glass and couple to the floor. Vegeta lay flat on his back, glaring at the ceiling in an attempt to calm his anger. Bulma, at this point, was in hysterics, squeezing the air out of her husband....well, trying to. With a furious growl, he was on his feet, wide-eyed woman in hands, golden glow of Super Saiya-jin radiating.

The bedroom door creaked open, allowing a mop of messy purple hair to peak through. "Can I come in?" Blue eyes darted around the room, surveying the broken glass and furniture askew. Bulma waved him in, having jumped out of Vegeta's arms. "You aren't hurt are you?" She turned him every which way, checking her son. "MO-OM! I'm fine!" Red crept onto his cheeks. To think! He was being treated like a baby in front of his father! With a quick burst of light and a whoosh of air, Trunks matched his father.

By now, Vegeta had sported his gi, placing the finishing touches on it by putting on his gloves. "And just where do you think _you're _going?" He opened and closed his hand repeatedly, getting the right fit. Trunks looked as though he had been asked the stupidest question ever. Right eye twitching ever so slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest, a spitting image of his father, if you overlooked the hair. "With you." A simple statement. Had it been another occasion, another day, Vegeta would consider letting his son tag along. However, being this day, it was,

"Absolutely out of the question. You're staying here, and that's final." The Prince regally turned around, heading towards the balcony doors that had so often lead him to battle. His family followed, as they often had, though Trunks was a baby the last time he had left in this manner. He turned around, looking at the two people who meant the world to him. Bulma stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him.

"Nani? No protest? Tsk, tsk, Onna. You're falling behind in your screeching." Vegeta smirked, watching as Bulma's own face contorted into an evil smirk. "If you die, I promise I'll bring you back and kill you again." The smirk faded from the Ouji's, shock taking over. He looked at his son, pointing at Bulma. "I think she's serious."

Trunks laughed. It wasn't everyday his father joked so lightly about death (or joked at all...but that's beside the point), especially after Buu.... With that thought, the young demi-Saiya-jin scowled, his eyes glazing over.

[_^* Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry...*^_] He repeated over and over, staring furiously at one unfortunate tree. The silence that ensued was killing the young Prince, but he refused to make a sound or move, fearing that he would only end up disappointing his father with his emotional nonsense.

"Are you alright, son?" His father's soothing voice shattered his last reserve of strength. Trunks flew up to Vegeta, throwing his arms around his neck and burying his face to the side. The older Prince blinked, definitely not expecting this. Then again, with all the talk of death and dying...he wrapped one arm around his son, giving a short reassuring squeeze. At least Trunks hadn't been there to see his death with Buu. Nor was he going to see this one, if it were to occur.

He gingerly set his son down, hoping against hope that it would not be the last time he ever saw them. As if remembering, he turned towards the lavender hair child again. "If anyone outside of our family and..._friends_...," he used the term loosely, "tries to get hold of the dragonballs, smash them around a few times. Got it?" Blue eyes widened ever so slightly, a nod following. "Hai 'Tousan."

A flash in the corner of Vegeta's eye caught their attention. "We'd better get going Vegeta." It was Goku. He stood off to the side sheepishly, knowing that he had probably interrupted something. "I'm coming," muttered the older man. A final nod sent their way, the two full-blooded Saiya-jins flew off, golden trails of ki streaking the sky.

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

Goku shook his head as they flew speedily over West City. Chaos, as expected, erupted all over the city as various bombastic explosions had gone off. He wasn't quite sure if bombs or energy had caused them, but the destruction was the same...

.......half the city had gone up in smoke and flames......

People continued to scream and cry out, though, as far as Goku could tell, the area was slightly safer than it had been earlier that night. Again he shook his head. Whoever did this was going to pay....dearly. He stretched out his ki sense, wondering vaguely if this new found enemy had any idea who he was dealing with. A tiny evil spot flickered in the recesses of his mind, alerting him to where they had hidden. With a glance to his right, Goku caught Vegeta's eye and nodded.

"Found 'em," he said, stopping. They hovered over a restaurant turned hospital. "Good," replied his friend, eye darting toward the distant countryside. "The sooner we find them, the sooner we can kill them." Goku rolled his eyes. Same old Vegeta, though he had a bit of a lighter tone in his voice. He reached out and touched Vegeta's shoulder while locating the ki once again. Placing his fore and middle finger to his forehead, the flashed out of sight.

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

Trunks glanced at the two spherical objects held in a glass case. He had never really had a chance to use them, his father usually handled such matters. Well, until Goku came back, that whole weird tournament scenario, and then there was Buu. The Saiya-jin rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was complicated just thinking about it. And now Buu lived among them, acting as though he had been there since...since...forever. He scowled, no longer caring about the giant pink blob. Buu had been responsible for his father's death, and it still angered the young Prince to see him around. He shook his head, purple hair swishing out of his eyes.

Goten sat to his right, a disappointed look fixed onto his face. Yes, Goku had made him stay put too, despite their previous experience fighting Majin Buu. Oh well, it was their loss. They could do the regular fusion, unlike their fathers who needed the assistance of earrings. Then again, the Portara earrings had provided Earth's strongest warrior: Vegetto. Trunks wondered if the universe would ever see Gotenks and Vegetto again. With a smirk that could rival Vegeta's, Trunks pulled Goten by the sleeve of his gi into the hallway.

****

(((Five minutes later)))

"...Ya get it?"

"Oh, I see! Ok! Let's do it!!"

The two boys stood six feet apart, just enough to give them room to perform the dance. Their arms pointed outwards, legs spread slightly apart.

"_FU—!_" They swung their arms over their heads, stopping after doing 180. 

"_—SION—!_" Their lower bodies turned towards each other as their arms darted away once again. Breathing patterns and ki at the same level, they touched knees and pointed fingers.

"**_HAAAA!_**" 

A bright light illuminated the Gravity Room as the two boys disappeared, combining to form one stronger form. The light soon faded, leaving Gotenks to stand in all his glory. "It worked!" Chirped the two voices. He zoomed over to the door, not wanting to make a whole in the ceiling for fear of Vegeta's wrath. Jumping up to Super Saiya-jin, the fused boys located their fathers' ki's and headed towards them, leaving behind two screaming women.

"GOTEN!"

"TRUNKS!"

*************************************************************************************

Yay! Another chapter finished. Hope ya guys like it! Oh, and the action is coming, I promise!!!

BTW: The last section, about Trunks and Goten only knowing how to fuse the "regular" way...that's really a matter of opinion. There's a DBZ movie (can't remember the name) where Goku teaches Vegeta the Fusion Dance, and they fuse to form SSJ Gogeta. Some people say the movies are extensions of the actual show, some people say they're side adventures. I believe that they're extensions and...well, if I told you the rest I'd ruin some parts. If you're confused or just need more of an explanation, tell me and I'll try to lay it out for you.

Review plz!!

Ja Ne,

~*Pearl*~


	3. Keep Out Of Reach Of Children

A/N: um...enjoy? **smiles sheepishly**

Disclaimer: Insert here......

Chapter Three: Keep Out Of Reach Of Children...

In all sense of the word, he was pissed.

Extremely.

He had expected the destruction of small towns and half of their home city to bring about the warriors that protect this pathetic excuse of a planet. The man wanted to goad them into a fight, to prove once and for all that the Karasu race was much more superior to any other in the universe!

And now...feh. Not a sign of any of the so-called "strongest". They were probably hiding, shaking in their boots. A malicious smirk swept across his face. He had a special blast with a certain Saiya-jin's name written all over it.

"Lord Kurayami," squeaked one of his minions. His dark green eyes darted to the kneeling soldier. 

"On with it." He snapped, tossing the five-star dragonball in the air, swiftly catching it.

"I have sent out the Legions as you have commanded. They will strike when you give the order," the younger man peered up, his eyes showing little fear.

"Good," Kurayami replied, again tossing up the orb. "You have done well Captain. I expect the native armies to retaliate, though they are weak yet strong in number. We will have a much more enjoyable fight with the more experienced warriors." Jade eyes looked down at the dragonball. "I know they have the other two. As soon as we defeat them, we can gather the rest and summon this eternal dragon or whatever."

The Captain nodded, now standing in front of the dark figure. "When are these warriors coming?"

Another smirk, along with a chuckle that sent shivers up the Captain's spine. "Soon. Very soon."

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

The two Saiya-jins hovered steadily ten feet over the ground. Goku's Instant Transmission had brought them close to this "Lord Kurayami", yet out of sight to conceal them in the canopies of the trees. For once, Vegeta was glad that Goku had stayed on the planet Yardratt to learn the once annoying technique.

"Should we drop down?" His breaths formed vapor and lingered in the cool, crisp air for a moment. The orange and blue, now long-sleeves, gi provided minimal protection against the winter wind. He shivered and waited for a reply.

"Might as well," replied Vegeta, his looser, dark blue long-sleeves gi just as worthless for warmth as his fellow Saiya-jin's. With a nod, both let their surpressed ki loose and jumped down, landing a few feet away from the invader. Shock holding for a minute, Kurayami grinned evilly, standing up and bowing in their direction.

"Prince Vegeta! Nice to see you again," another bow, mocking and sarcastic. His green eyes bored into Vegeta's midnight ones. The said Prince balled up his fists, using every reserve of control to not go and tear the man apart. "No one mocks the Prince of the Saiya-jins and lives to see another day!" Goku placed a restraining hand on Vegeta's shoulder.

"You've come to our planet, destroyed cities, and killed innocent people. We'll give you one chance to leave and never come back." The strong Saiya-jin leveled his eyes at Kurayami, a seriousness showed only during battle taking hold of his expression.

The tall figure threw his head back and let out a resounding laughter, one that echoed throughout the forest. His head went to its previous position, eyes glaring at the two warriors before him. "You _are_ a fool. I am not so easily gotten rid of. Besides, I have a score to settle with a certain...Prince..." Placing his right arm behind him, he shot it forward, a giant green ki ball forming. Goku backpedaled a few steps, Vegeta mirroring him. "Eh, why do I have a feeling that this is gonna hurt?" His large, round eyes glided over to Vegeta. The Prince was ready to retort and tell Goku just how helpful that pearl of wisdom was when he heard the faint recital of an attack.

**__**

"Ka...me..." It wasn't Kakarot, though he could definitely feel some of his ki, or at least the signature of it, in the attack. It had to be one of his brats!

**__**

"Ha...me..." Kurayami hadn't seemed to notice, though the rise in the energy was beginning to show. "Kakarot! Didn't you tell your brats to stay home?" he whispered, eyes darting back and forth between the forming threat and the looming shadow.

"That's not just Goten," Goku mumbled back, eyes fixed on their supposed savior. Vegeta's right eye twitched..... 

[_~ No, it couldn't be— ~_]

.....There was another ki mingled with it......

**__**

"HAAAAA!" Kurayami turned around in time to get a mouthful of the blue Kamehame Ha, his own green attack launching towards the unsuspecting figure in the sky.

"GOTENKS! LOOK OUT!!" Yelled Goku, watching as the fused demi-warrior laughed at his well-aimed attack. With a "huh?" he brought his arms up, crossing them in front of his face in hopes to shield himself from the oncoming blast. Upon impact, Kurayami's attack exploded, bright neon green flashing in the sky, causing the two stationary fathers to shield their own eyes from the bright light. It soon died out, giving in to a loud "**THUMP**". 

Vegeta took off into the bushes, legs pumping, boots hitting the hard ground as he let his mind keep track of his son's low ki. He heard steps behind him, assuming that Goku was behind by five strides. After reaching the top of a hill, he paused, his eyes taking in the scene before him. Cringing, the Ouji jogged up to his son, immediately checking for a pulse. There was one. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as Goku did the same to Goten. The younger man let out a breath and looked to Vegeta. "Trunks ok?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Relief washed over his body. The boy was definitely going to get it when they got back to the compound. Leaning over, he picked Trunks up, carrying him as he had when the boy was a toddler: vertically, one arm under his bottom, the other across his back, Trunks' cheek resting on his shoulder. He turned around at about the same time Goku had, noticing that he had the same idea concerning Goten.

"Let's get them home."

Goku arched an eyebrow. "What about Kurayami?"

"Screw him. We'll deal with 'em later." Vegeta floated towards the sky, pausing briefly for Goku. The latter looked back towards the bushes they had just rushed through, shrugging away an eerie feeling. "Are you coming or what?" Goku hesitated before joining Vegeta. Both went Super, increasing their speed to get home.

(((**Capsule Corp // Earlier**)))

The teenager thought back on his life, helplessly wondering what evil he had previously done to deserve this. Two mothers sat there, fuming, chattering back and forth on how they were to punish their escaped youngsters. He had heard it all before, mainly directed at the husbands of these two banshees, though now concern clearly shone through their angered exterior. 

[_^+ God, if you're listening...+^_], he paused and glanced over at his mother, watching as she lightly tapped her Frying Pan of Doom™, [_^+ ****gulp**** HELP! +^_]. Though visibly shaken by his mother's threats on the lives of the children and husbands, Gohan couldn't help but chuckle. If Chi Chi would've had a slightly more powerful energy level, she would be fairly intimidating on the battlefield, frying pan in hand. Well, it didn't matter much now. As far as he could tell, both his father and Vegeta had merely gone to spy on the opposing forces. Scout out the territory, if you will. He guessed it was the main reason why they had gone alone, leaving behind their allies. And now Trunks and Goten were going to be a nuisance. 

The front door slammed open, making a rather decent sized hole in the wall. Gohan jumped about three feet in the air, his heart pounding against his rib cage. He had been so absorbed in thought that the arrival of his father and company had caught him off guard, a mistake he knew had to be corrected. Bulma and his mother's angered expressions soon melted away into something unreadable, though he knew it was a matter of seconds before the shock wore off.

Bulma's hand flew to her mouth. "Vegeta, what happened?" Her husband continued to walk by her, the question seemingly bouncing off of him. His steady steps carried him and Trunks to the Med. Bay, Goku and Goten following. Chi Chi stormed into the room, her eyes wide. "Goten! My poor baby!" Both mothers hovered over their two little boys, shooing away the older men. The door whooshed closed in their faces.

Gohan hung around the back, feeling somewhat useless. He watched as Vegeta leaned against a corner, his usual stance and scowl present. It was all Gohan could do to not die of shame. Vegeta leveled a glare, seemingly looking into the teen's soul. He knew what was coming. Thankfully, his father intercepted.

"Something doesn't feel right about this Kurayami guy. What could he possibly want with us?" Goku leaned against the wall opposite Vegeta, arms crossed against his broad chest.

"I'm not sure, Kakarot. He obviously wants to take out his petty anger on Earth. Whatever it is, he must be stopped, or we'll wind up with another Majin Buu battle." An added smirk. "Besides, he seems weak enough to handle. We shouldn't have to worry too much about him."

Goku looked out a near-by window, watching the dark smoke from ebbed fires dissipate into the early morning sky.

"I hope you're right Vegeta....."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**smiles** Yay! Finally, I got through this chapter. Sorry that it took so long, but after I got Gotenks to get hit with Kurayami's attack, I pretty much lost my plan for the next scene. Don't worry, now I know where I'm finally going with this.

Special Shout Out To:

ButterflyV: (Ch. 1 review) Thanks! I was hoping that the start wasn't too...corny.....-_-;;;;

Stoned_Gogeta: (C2 review) **reads review** Thankies! ^_^ I was praying VERY hard that I didn't make Vegeta and Piccolo to OOC, cuz they're the mello "get outta my way or I'll blast you to the next Dimension" kinda guys. 'Course, we gotta take into consideration that Geta-san changed a great deal after the Buu Saga. Heh....spelling and grammar....yeah, I'm a really stickler for that. I can't stand it when a fic has a good plot but really bad grammar and spelling. Peeps just don't realize how much they ruin it! **sniffle** N E Who...I'm workin' on that fight scene. I hope I can live up to the "True DBZ Fanfic Writer" standards!! ^-^

ButterflyV: (C2 review) Thanx! Yep, I know that Goku and Vegeta do that fusion dance in GT...they were SSJ4. But remember, this fic is pre-GT, so that doesn't really count at the moment. That movie I was talkin' about in the previous chapter somehow miraculously took place during the fight with Majin Buu (cuz Vegeta was still dead....O_o), so yeah, now they do know the fusion dance. Whether Gogeta will make an appearance in this fic is yet to be decided.

Kitty-jinxx: ("Ten Things I Hate About You," C14 review): Well, I'm glad you loved my story! It rocks? Wow! Thanks!! ^_^

Afk: ("Ten Things I Hate About You," C14 review): Ah, my dear friend afk!! HEY! Glad you luved the ending, though I was somewhat disappointed with it. Oh well, at least you and other readers liked it. That's what matters! ^-^ Hope this fic isn't disappointing to my "Ten Things" readers. This is supposed to be a whole lot more serious, with added bits of humor here and there......eh, enough of my worrying. Nice to hear from ya again!! ^_^

Well, that's about it for now I guess. Plz remember to review! It keeps me fueled to write the next chapter!!! Plus, I go back to school in a week...that means less time to write unless I'm motivated to make time!!! Luv ya!!

Ja Ne!

  
  
BTW: Japanese Lesson for Today:  
  
**Karasu** = _raven_

****

Kurayami = _dark, darkness_ (original, huh? -_-;;;)


	4. IMPORTANT Author's Note

****

Important Author's Note

__

Well folks, I've decided to temporarily stop posting updates on "The Rising: Darkness Falls". Blade-chan was right, and hearing her say it made sense. This fic is just too rushed, and somewhat confusing. I'm going to re-read, edit, and revise the chapters one by one. I knew this fic wasn't really going the way I wanted it to, and I had hoped to continue without the burden of re-editing it all over again. But hey, I'm human (though I wish I were Saiyan...), and this fic most definitely is not my writing style. So hang tight, I'll try to revise it asap! 

Thanks!!!

Ja Ne: Pearl

PS: afk: sure you can email me! LittleAndi_EM@hotmail.com


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